Computer memory types
Volatile
                                   RAM
                                 DRAM
                                 SRAM
                                 Historical
       Williams–Kilburn tube (1946–47)
               Delay line memory (1947)
           Mellon optical memory (1951)
                 Selectron tube(1952)
                                Dekatron
                            T-RAM (2009)
                    Z-RAM(2002–2010)
                              Non-volatile
                                   ROM
                                Mask ROM
                                 PROM
                                 EPROM
                                EEPROM
                            Flash memory
                                  NVRAM
                                 ReRAM
                     Early stage NVRAM
                                 FeRAM
                                 MRAM
                                  PCM
                                 Magnetic
                            Magnetic tape
                                          Hard disk drive
                                                 Optical
                                              Optical disc
                                          In development
                                               CBRAM
                                     Racetrack memory
                                                NRAM
                                         Millipede memory
                                              FJG RAM
                                               Historical
                             Paper data storage (1725)
                                     Drum memory(1932)
                         Magnetic-core memory (1949)
                             Plated wire memory (1957)
                             Core rope memory (1960s)
                                 Thin-film memory(1962)
                                         Disk pack (1962)
                                 Twistor memory (–1968)
                                 Bubble memory (–1970)
                                         Floppy disk(1971)
                                                                 v
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Example of writable volatilerandom-access memory: Synchronous Dynamic RAM modules, primarily used as
main memory in personal computers, workstations, and servers.
Random-access memory (RAM /ræm/) is a form of computer data storage that
stores data and machine code currently being used. A random-access memory device
allows data items to be read or written in almost the same amount of time irrespective of the physical
location of data inside the memory. In contrast, with other direct-access data storage media such
as hard disks, CD-RWs, DVD-RWs and the older magnetic tapes and drum memory, the time
required to read and write data items varies significantly depending on their physical locations on the
recording medium, due to mechanical limitations such as media rotation speeds and arm movement.
RAM contains multiplexing and demultiplexing circuitry, to connect the data lines to the addressed
storage for reading or writing the entry. Usually more than one bit of storage is accessed by the
same address, and RAM devices often have multiple data lines and are said to be "8-bit" or "16-bit",
etc. devices.
In today's technology, random-access memory takes the form of integrated circuits. RAM is normally
associated with volatile types of memory (such as DRAM modules), where stored information is lost
if power is removed, although non-volatile RAM has also been developed.[1] Other types of non-
volatile memories exist that allow random access for read operations, but either do not allow write
operations or have other kinds of limitations on them. These include most types of ROM and a type
of flash memory called NOR-Flash.